Saturday, July 17, 2010

It has been another good day. Vicki Johnston's paintings are hanging at Molly's Table, ready for the big celebration on Sunday. Vicki's food paintings look perfect on the brick walls in Donna Nagle's restaurant in Paola, Kansas. There is one wall of vegetables such as asparagus, a garlic bulb. a pea pod and a tomato, all on black backgrounds. Another wall is all fruit. Gorgeous lemons that make you want to make lemonade; apples that look realistic enough that you want to reach out and grab one to insure the doctor stays away; a bowl of cherries that makes you sure life is......

And wait until you see the paintings of cakes!

Remember, Sunday, 3 to 6 pm, Molly's Table,

117 South Pearl Street, Paola, KS.

Lot's of desserts by Molly's,

wine by Somerset Ridge and

the paintings by Vicki Johnston!

Don't miss it!

Once the show was hanging, it was back to the studio to paint. I never picked up a paint brush! I have close to 60 hours on this current nightmare and I sat and stared at it. Studio mate, David Gross, tried to encourage me....that's what studio mates do. But the longer I looked at it, the more flaws I found. I wandered out to my car and took the long way home.

I fixed a treat for myself when I arrived home....a glass of Sangria! Sangria is a traditional wine punch from Spain. I opened a bottle of Somerset Ridge's Buffalo Red, a semi-sweet red wine that is smooth and rich with bold flavors of cherry & plum with a spicy finish. Some sangrias have an extra kick with the addition of brandy, but I find I love it without that kick. That choice will be yours. Give this recipe a try. It is perfect for a summer evening!

Berry Peach Sangría

1 bottle Somerset Ridge Buffalo Red wine (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup orange juice, or juice of 2 large oranges

1/3 cup lemon juice, or juice of one large lemon

3 tablespoons brandy (optional)

1 cup raspberries, blackberries, fresh or frozen

2 peaches, quartered and sliced

12 ounces club soda ( I leave this out most of the time, but it is excellent with it)

Ice

In a 2 1/2 quart pitcher, stir together first 4 ingredients. Add berries and refrigerate 2-3 hours to allow flavors to mingle. About 1 hour before serving, add peaches. Add club soda to sangría just before serving. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with berries and fruit slices.